Children and Families with English as an Additional Language: Future Directions for a Growing Commun

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Children and Families with English as an
Additional Language Future Directions for a
Growing Community

• Dr. Thomas Ricento
• Professor and Chair, English as an Additional
  Language
• Faculty of Education
• University of Calgary
• April 18th, 2008.

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Resources on Recent Research

• http//www.ucalgary.ca/tricento/
• www.apollo.ucalgary.ca/eslrw
• http//www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/
  spring2003/catastrophe.html

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National Data (Statistics Canada, 2006).
Immigration in Canada A Portrait of the
Foreign-born Population, 2006 Census

• In 2006, 6,186,950 foreign-born people in Canada
• Foreign-born account for one in five (19.8) of
  the total population, highest proportion in 75
  years
• Between 2001 and 2006, Canadas foreign-born
  population increased by 13.6
• An estimated 1,034,000 people (3.3 of the
  population) reported one of the Chinese languages
  as their mother tongue

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Provincial Data (Statistics Canada, 2006)

• A growing share of recent immigrants chose to
  settle in Alberta during the past five years
• About 9.3, 103,700, of the 1.1 million new
  immigrants who came to Canada between 2001 and
  2006 settled in Alberta
• In 2006, 5.2 of newcomers chose to live in
  Calgary

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Statistics Canada (2005). Canadas Immigrant
Labour Market

• In 2006, the national unemployment rate for very
  recent immigrants (in Canada gtfive years) 11.5
  vs. 4.9 for the Canadian-born populaion
• Unemployment rate for immigrants in Canada
  between 5 and 10 years was 7.3
• Unemployment rate for immigrants in country lt10
  years was similar to Canadian-born workers
• Jobless rates for immigrants are higher than
  Canadian-born regardless of education
• Unemployment rate in 2006 among recently landed
  with bachelors degrees was 11.4, four times the
  2.9 rate for Canadian-born workers who were
  university-educated
• Unemployment rate in 2006 for recently landed
  with a graduate

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• Degree was 12.4, compared to only 2.4 for
  Canadian-born with graduate degrees
• Unemployment rate among recent immigrants in
  Alberta was 5.8 in 2006, compared to the 2.6
  unemployment rate for Canadian-born Albertans

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Research on ESL K-12 in Alberta

• Howard Research Management Consulting (April
  2006). A Review of K-12 Education in Alberta
• In 2006, the ESL student population in Alberta
  was estimated at 37,300
• The number of ESL students has increased by an
  average of 14 per year
• 58 are in Calgary, 29 in Edmonton

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Issues Faced by Schools in Alberta

• Schools reported using over 60 different
  assessment instruments to evaluate the English
  language skills of their students
• there was a lack of understanding among school
  personnel of the link between first language
  proficiency and second language acquisition
• 64 of ESL mainstream teachers reported that they
  had no ESL training
• Only 19 of schools reported that they had a plan
  or strategy to address cultural diversity and
  competency through professional development

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• Overall, only 11.1 of schools reported having
  full day self-contained ESL classes and 2.3
  reported having half-day self-contained ESL
  classes
• Even among those schools with 26 or more ESL
  students, only 9.4 reported having full day
  self-contained ESL classes and 7.2 reported
  half-day self-contained ESL classes
• Reasons for ESL students dropping out lack of
  time to complete high school, frustration, low
  self-esteem, and family responsibility

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• Canadian-born ESL students are at a greater
  disadvantage than foreign-born ESL students in
  terms of staying in school and passing the
  Provincial Achievement Tests (PAT)
• Students entering the system at an older age
  (older arrivals) are more likely to graduate than
  younger arrivals
• ESL students with lower initial levels of ELP,
  special needs, or refugee status are less likely
  to graduate and in more need of additional ESL
  instructional supports

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• Roessingh (2004). Effective high school ESL
  programs A synthesis and meta-analysis.
• Meta-analysis of 12 previous research studies on
  ESL K-12 populations in the U.S.
• Identified 32 macro and micro-level variables
  associated with effective ESL programs, grouped
  under
• Administrators role
• Program Type/Model
• Teacher characteristics
• Instructional practices

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• Treatment
• Staged inclusion and transitional and ongoing
  support
• Increased ESL hours to 750 from 375
• Direct/explicit instruction of language learning
  objectives in the ESL program and mainstream
• Careful tracking and monitoring of student
  performance
• One guidance counselor solely responsible for ESL
  students

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• Results
• Accountability defined in terms of retention,
  participation, and success in academic
  achievement
• 47 out of 60 students in the cohort moved from
  grade 10 to 12 between 1997 and 2000 and all 47
  graduated
• All 47 students were enrolled in Mathematics and
  English Language Arts in grade 12
• All 47 passed English 30 necessary for university
  admission

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Roessingh ESL Resource Website
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Roessingh ESL Resource Website
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Roessingh ESL Resource Website
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Roessingh ESL Resource Website
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Roessingh ESL Resource Website
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Scott Douglas, doctoral student (in progress)

• Exploratory study of domestic students who are
  speakers of English as a Second Language (ESL)
• Seeks to gain insights into the transition from
  local Calgary and area high schools to university
  level studies, and the concomitant language
  proficiency requirements necessary for academic
  success

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• Computerized files were used to probe the central
  inquiry questions comparing academic performance
• 74 ESL speaking students who arrived in Canada as
  adolescents (older arrivals)
• 54 ESL speaking students who arrived as children
  (younger arrivals)
• 120 (plus 74 transcripts) non-ESL identified
  students

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• How does the undergraduate academic achievement
  of domestic ESL speakers who have graduated from
  local Calgary and area high schools compare to
  that of their native speaking counterparts?

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Funded ESL Study BackgroundRicento, Cervatiuc,
MacMillan Masoodi

• Programs involved to date
• LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to
  Canada)
• 2. CES (Canadian Employment Skills)

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Funded ESL Study BackgroundRicento, Cervatiuc,
MacMillan Masoodi

• Established in 1992, LINC is a well-known general
  language training program which provides basic
  language skills, at no cost, to eligible adult
  learners by the Government of Canada.
• (www.settlement.org)

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Funded ESL Study BackgroundRicento, Cervatiuc,
MacMillan Masoodi

• LINC eligible learners include
• Permanent residents of Canada
• Convention Refugees
• Minister permit holders.
• Learners may access up to three years of
  instruction from the time they start their LINC
  training.

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Funded ESL Study BackgroundRicento, Cervatiuc,
MacMillan Masoodi

• Some issues regarding LINC according to recent
  studies
• Significant wait lists for LINC programming,
  especially in Calgary (Taviss Simces, 2004)
• Length of language training is time-limited
  rather than competence determined (Veeman, 2004)
• Not all regions train newcomers up to CLB level
  7 (CIC, 2004)
• The quality of teachers varies and this has a
  direct impact on quality of instruction (CIC,
  2004)
• LINC classes do not encourage critical thinking
  and civic engagement (Khalideen, 1998).

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Funded ESL Study Data CollectionRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi

• LINC Data collected to date includes
• Interviews with LINC program managers (2),
  instructors (9), and learners (9)
• Focus groups (4) with LINC learners (43)
• LINC class observation records (9)
• LINC student demographics (N81)
• LINC program and curriculum documentation.

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Funded ESL Study Research QuestionsRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi

• What are newcomers goals and English learning
  needs in Canada?
• How accessible are funded ESL programs to
  newcomers to Canada?
• How effective are funded ESL administration,
  curriculum, materials, instruction, and
  in-program assessment in assisting newcomers to
  Canada to achieve their goals?

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Funded ESL Study LINC DemographicsRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi

• .

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Funded ESL Study LINC DemographicsRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi
,.
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Funded ESL Study LINC DemographicsRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi

• .

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Funded ESL Study LINC DemographicsRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi
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LINC Study Preliminary FindingsRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi

• Overall Strengths of the LINC Program
• It is government-funded.
• Class sizes are small (max. 16 students).
• 3. Teachers have the flexibility to mold the
  curriculum to the needs of the students.

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LINC Study Preliminary FindingsRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi

• Overall Limitations of the LINC Program
• The 1200 hours of instruction available to LINC
  learners do not meet their learning needs
  (particularly for low-literacy students).
• It only equips newcomers with survival English
  skills.
• 3. It does not provide enough instruction to help
  newcomers achieve their academic or professional
  goals.
• Teachers are underpaid compared to K-12
  Education.

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LINC Study Preliminary FindingsRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi

• LINC is a link or a transitional program, but to
  what? There is obviously a missing link in the
  educational system offering language instruction
  for immigrants.

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LINC Study Preliminary FindingsRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi

• LINC Students Learning Goals
• Most LINC students are pessimistic about their
  chances of reentering their profession in Canada
• E.g. A medical doctor form China, working in a
  survival job and taking evening LINC classes,
  considers that obtaining license as a physician
  in Canada would be almost impossible and intends
  to change her career entirely. Her current
  English proficiency level is CLB 4-5 and she
  needs at least 8.5 to meet the requirements for
  medical licensure.

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LINC Study Preliminary FindingsRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi

• LINC Students Learning Goals
• Most LINC students consider that, in order to
  achieve their academic or career goals, they need
  more English instruction after they complete the
  LINC program.
• 3. Many LINC students are unaware of the options
  for receiving more English instruction available
  to them after completing the LINC program.

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LINC Study Preliminary FindingsRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi

• LINC Students Learning Goals
• 4. Many have pessimistic expectations about the
  estimated length of time it would take them to
  learn enough English to achieve their academic or
  career goals.
• E.g. Some learners estimated that it would
  take them up to 10 years to learn enough English
  to achieve their career goals. Because they have
  survival jobs in the morning, which offer
  limited opportunities for communication, they
  are able to attend LINC classes only in the
  evening (2-3 times a week).

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LINC Study Preliminary FindingsRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi

• Barriers to Newcomers Access to LINC Classes
• Lack of child minding
• There is a LINC childcare program, but most
  LINC schools do not have it. A child minding
  program was perceived by administrators as an
  extra burden for a language school. More LINC
  schools used to offer child minding programs.

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LINC Study Preliminary FindingsRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi

• Barriers to Newcomers Access to LINC Classes
• 2. Long distance from their house to the nearest
  LINC school
• Most LINC schools are located downtown. There
  are not enough LINC schools located in
  communities where many recent immigrants live
  (E.g. Calgary SE).

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LINC Study Preliminary FindingsRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi

• Barriers to Newcomers Access to LINC Classes
• 3. Long wait lists to get into the program
• - The average wait time between taking an
  English proficiency assessment at ILVARC and
  starting LINC classes was estimated to be
  between 3 months and 1 year, depending on the
  level.
• - There are not enough LINC programs to
  accommodate the growing number of new
  immigrants settling in Alberta. Between 2001 and
  2006, the percentage of immigrants who settled in
  Alberta increased by 33.

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LINC Study Preliminary FindingsRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi

• Recommendations
• 1. Information sessions offered through LINC
  programs to let newcomers know about their
  options to continue English instruction and
  upgrade their education after completing the
  LINC program.
• 2. Evaluate the possibility of providing a
  living allowance for LINC learners so they can
  take classes at a more accelerated pace.

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LINC Study Preliminary FindingsRicento,
Cervatiuc, MacMillan Masoodi

• Recommendations
• 3. Open more LINC programs in Alberta to respond
  to the growing number of recent immigrants who
  settle in this province.
• 4. Open more LINC childcare programs.
• 5. Open more LINC schools in communities.